TV wall mounting and home audio in Coachella

Permit pulled, inspection passed, before the final payment

“The panel went in without a permit, and it surfaced when we sold the house.”

Our standard: Panel, circuit, EV charger, generator and battery work is permitted, and you get the signed-off inspection before the final payment.

We ask the electrical partner to name the permit and its fee in the written price, schedule the city or county inspection, and send you the inspection result. A bid that leaves the permit out is a red flag, not a discount.

Utility work spelled out in the price

“The panel price doubled once the utility said the meter and service had to change.”

Our standard: The written price says what happens on the utility side (SCE or IID), what's included and what could change it, before you sign.

Service upgrades often need the utility to disconnect, approve or upgrade the service drop or meter. The written price should say who files with SCE or IID, what the lead time is, and what an unexpected utility requirement would cost.

A C-10 contractor and certified electricians for line-voltage work

“The low-voltage guy ran a new 240-volt circuit for the charger.”

Our standard: Anything at 120 or 240 volts goes to a C-10 electrical contractor whose electricians hold state certification; low-voltage AV, Wi-Fi and data wiring to a C-7 or C-10 licensee.

California requires a C-10 license for line-voltage work and DIR certification for the electricians a C-10 contractor employs. A C-7 low-voltage license covers systems at 91 volts or less. We check both on the CSLB site before any referral.

A handover you can actually use

“Six remotes, three apps, and nobody returns calls when the music stops.”

Our standard: At the end you get a walk-through, labelled equipment, a written sheet of the Wi-Fi, logins and accounts in your name, and support terms in writing.

We ask the partner for an itemized equipment list with model numbers, the passwords and admin accounts set up in the owner's name, and what a service call costs after the warranty period, all before the final payment.

No lock-in you didn't agree to

“Only the original dealer can change a scene, and they went out of business.”

Our standard: The written price names the platform (open or dealer-programmed) and whether you get the programming files or a dealer-transfer path.

Dealer-programmed systems such as Control4, Crestron and Savant are excellent, but changes usually need a dealer. Ask who owns the programming, and get it in writing. App-based systems are cheaper to change later; the written proposal should say which you're buying.

Clean walls and a mount rated for the TV

“Wires hanging down the wall, and the TV sagged off a drywall anchor.”

Our standard: The price says how cables are hidden, what the mount is rated for, how it attaches, and whether drywall patch and paint are included.

Desert homes often have block, stucco or post-and-beam walls, and many TV walls sit over a fireplace. Ask how the mount attaches to your wall, whether power is moved behind the TV as a code-compliant outlet, and who patches the wall.

Systems that come back after an outage

“The cameras went dark in July and nobody noticed until October.”

Our standard: For seasonal homes, remote alerts are set up and tested, the router and hub sit on battery backup, and the plan says who resets what when you're away.

Summer outages happen here in triple-digit heat. Ask for alerts for power loss, temperature and water leaks, a small UPS on the router and hub, and a written plan for a reset visit.

No pressure sales on batteries, generators or solar

“They said the battery was basically free and I had to sign that night.”

Our standard: No same-night signing. Incentives are stated as programs you apply for, with no promise that you'll get them.

CSLB warns that solar and storage draw more complaints than any other trade it oversees, often from high-pressure sales and 'free' claims. You get a written price, time to think, and the cancellation period the law gives you.